Scene:France - Court of Rossillion and French court.
Italy - Florentine court and streets of Florence

Act I,
Scene 1: The Countess of Rossillion's son Bertram is leaving
for the court of the King of France. The Countess and Lord Lafew discuss
the King's poor health, she regrets that the father of her ward, Helena, has
died. Helena's father was a great doctor and easily could have cured the
ailing king. The Countess bids Bertram farewell and departs, and Bertram,
after a cursory farewell to Helena, leaves with Lafew. Helena soliloquizes
on her seemingly hopeless love for Bertram. Bertram's friend Parolles
arrives and engages Helena in an exchange of verbal jests on the subject of her
virginity and virginity in general. Parolles leaves, and Helena decides
that she must act if her love is to be rewarded. She sees an opportunity in the
King's illness.

Act I,
Scene 2: The King discusses the war between Florence and Siena,
stating that he has decided to permit French noblemen to fight in the conflict
if they wish. Bertram arrives and is welcomed warmly by the King.
The King remarks on his ill health and regrets the death of the famed doctor who
had served in the court at Rossillion.

Act I,
Scene 3: The Countess jester Lavatch (or referred to in some
texts as just 'Clown'), requests permission to marry, making obscene jokes and
singing songs. The Steward wishes to speak about Helena and the Countess
sends Lavatch to get her. The Countess remarks on her fondness for Helena
and the Steward confides that he has overheard the young woman musing on her
love for Bertram. As the Steward leaves, Helena arrives, and the Countess
elicits from hr a confession on her love for Bertram and of her intention to go
to Paris. Helena asserts that she has secret prescriptions of her father's
that she is convinced will cure the King, and he Countess agrees to help her
travel to Paris to try them.

Act II,
Scene 1: The King bids farewell to the First and Second Lords
and other young nobleman leaving to fight in Florence. Bertram regrets
that he is commanded to remain at court. Lafew appears and introduces
Helena as young woman who can cure the King's illness Helena convinces the King
to try her medicine, offering to wager her life that it will work within 24
hours. In return, she ask the King to approve her marriage to the man of
her choice.

Act II,
Scene 2: Lavatch jests about life at the King's court an the
Countess gives him a message to take to Helena.

Act II,
Scene 3: Lafew, interrupted repeatedly by Parolles, tells of
the King's return to health. The King arrives with Helena, who is to
choose from among the young gentlemen of the court. She selects Bertram,
but he refuses to marry her, saying that her social rank is too low.
However, the King orders him to accept, and he accepts. Parolles puts on
airs, and Lafew disdains him with elaborate insults. Lafew leaves, and
Bertram reappears, declaring that he will run away to the wars in Italy before
he will consummate his marriage to Helena. He plans to send Helena back to
the Countess alone.

Act II,
Scene 4: Parolles conveys Bertram's instructions to Helena.

Act III,
Scene 1: The Duke of Florence receives the First and Second
Lords

Act III,
Scene 2: The Countess reads Bertram's letter declaring that he
has run away from his new wife, as Helena appears with the First and Second
Lords, who are on leave from Florence. She reads aloud a letter from
Bertram, he will not acknowledge her as his wife until she wears his ring and
bears his child., which, he insists, will never happen. In a soliloquy,
Helena decides that she must leave France and become a wanderer so that her
husband may lived unhindered by an unwanted wife.

Act III,
Scene 3: The Duke of Florence makes Bertram his general of
cavalry. Bertram rejoices to be engaged in war, not love.

Act III,
Scene 4: The Steward reads a letter from Helena stating that
she has become a holy pilgrim. The dismayed Countess orders him to write
Bertram, asking him to return hoping that Helena will eventually come back as
well.

Act III,
Scene 5: The widow Capilet, a landlady in Florence, her
daughter Diana, and their neighbor Mariana remark that eh new French general,
Bertram, has tempted to seduce Diana, sending Parolles as his go between.
Helena appears, identifying herself as a French pilgrim, and she is told about
the general, whom the ladies have heard has rejected his wife. Helena
agrees to lodge with the widow.

Act III,
Scene 6: The two lords propose to prove to Bertram that
Parolles is a coward. They will kidnap him and make him believe he has
been captured by the enemy; they are sure the he will betray his comrades out of
fear while Bertram overhears his interrogation. Parolles enters and brags
that he will retrieve a captured regimental drum, a prized emblem. He
leaves, and the First Lord follows to prepare the plan, Bertram invites
the Second lord to visit Diana with him.

Act III,
Scene 7: Helena has told the widow that she is Bertram's wife,
and she proposes a plot, if Diana pretends to accept Bertram as a lover , Helena
will substitute for the young woman in bed; Bertram will not recognize her in
the dark. The widow agrees.

Act IV,
Scene 1: The First Lord instructs his men to pose as foreign
mercenaries, pretending to speak in an "exotic" language, which is only
gibberish, to Parolles. The first solider volunteers to act as their
interpreter. Parolles appears, wondering what excuse he can offer for
returning without the drum. He is captured and immediately promises,
through the 'interpreter', to reveal military secrets if his life is spared.

Act IV,
Scene 2: Bertram attempts to talk Diana into sleeping with him.
She demands that he give her his ring, a family heirloom, and also asks him to
promise not to speak to her when they meet later that night. He agrees.

Act IV,
Scene 3: The First and Second Lords discuss Bertram's disgrace for
having left his wife, noting also that he has seduced a young woman by giving
her his family ring. They have head that his wife has died, and they
regret that he is probably pleased by this. Bertram arrives, and the
blindfolded Parolles is brought in to be 'interrogated'. He reveals
military secrets, disparaging both Bertram an the Lords as he does so. The
blindfold is removed, and Parolles sees who has exposed him. Alone,
Parolles, declares that having proven a fool, he will simply have to become a
professional fool or jester.

Act IV,
Scene 4: Helena intends to take the widow and Diana to the
King's court at Marseilles, where she can get an escort to Rossillion and arrive
ahead of Bertram.

Act IV,
Scene 5: In Rossillion, Lafew, the Countess and Lavatch mourn
Helena. Lafew proposes that Bertram marry his daughter, and the Countess
agrees. Lafew has learned that the King will visit Rossillion shortly.
Lavatch reports Bertram's approach.

Act V,
Scene 1: In Marseilles, Helena and her companions encounter a
gentleman who informs them that the King has gone to Rossillion.

Act V,
Scene 2: In Rossillion, Parolles, now in rags, is teased by
Lavatch. Lafew appears, and Parolles begs him for assistance. After
chastising him for having earned his misfortune through knavery, Lafew promises
him a position in his household.

Act V,
Scene 3: The King pardons Bertram for his part in Helena's
death and tells him of his prospective marriage to Lafew's daughter.
Bertram offers Lafew a ring to give his daughter. The King recognizes it
as the one he had given Helena, but Bertram claims that it cam from an admirer
in Florence. The unbelieving King orders him arrested Diana arrives
and asserts that Bertram cannot deny that he took her virginity. She
produces his family ring and says that Parolles can testify to her relationship
with him. Bertram insists that she seduced him and then demanded his ring;
he equates the gift with payment to a prostitute. Parolles appears and
states that Bertram's infatuation with Diana extended to promising marriage.
Helena appears an claims Bertram as her husband, reminding him that he had said
he would accept her when she wore his ring and bore his child. She says
these things are done and tells of her impersonation in Diana's bed. The
delighted and amused King promises Diana a dowry if she wants to marry. He
speaks an Epilogue to the audience, asking for applause.